>I note from a previous post that your users use Access in the previous application. Assuming multiple users and no need for a >single shared database (and I may be wrong) then fixing an Access database would have been quite simple.
>
>However, if the Access database was shared, then all sorts of problems usually results - it seems Access can't cope with two >or more users. (Ok, slightly unfair, but only slightly!).
>
>Are each of your users using a "personal" Firebird database or are they all connecting to a centralised one?
>
>In the latter case, do you really want any user starting up the recovery utility and trashing the database for everyone else?

I've no experience with Access myself, but from what Norman wrote above, I'd expect Access to have quite frequent crashes in a multiuser environment. A properly setup Firebird database doesn't crash very often so you might not actually need a recovery utility (except restoring backups and once deleting two records from a system table when an index was 'partially deleted', I don't remember having fixed a Firebird database in the 12 years I've used Firebird). On the other hand, worst-case Firebird crashes cannot be fixed or require expert recovery - i.e. Ann Harrison, IBSurgeon or possibly IB Phoenix.

Maybe all you need is a one page description of how to shut down the database, rename the database file, restore a backup and bring the database back online? Users who know they are illiterate will normally be able to follow a clear description, the problem users are those who are illiterate optimists believing they are experts ("Yes, I know about your recipe, but if I got this to work on an Access database, it means it has to work on any database, if not the other database is in error!").

Set